Kythnos is one of the less visited Aegean islands, making it an ideal destination for hikers looking to experience something authentic and admire the history, culture and natural beauty of the island. Paths that pass through picturesque settlements, country churches, springs, windmills, beautiful beaches, castles, country houses and thermal springs are just some of the treasures you will discover by walking on the island.
The highest peak, Prophet Elias(336m) forms at the spot where two ridges are united. It is located in the center-east of the island and offers an unobstructed view in all directions. From the two central ridges rise successive ridges ending on the coastline and on secret beaches. Some of the paths we find are marked, while others are not. Their difficulty differs depending on the terrain and many of them are the old paths used by the inhabitants of the island before the roads were opened.
Kolona beach path
The beach of Kolona is the most famous and the most impressive of Kythnos. Its unique beauty is the result of its peculiarity: it is a strip of sand connecting Kythnos with the rocky island of Agios Loukas. And as it is with all the beautiful things to get there, it is a little bit tricky. To reach the beach you can follow the path that starts at the bay of Apokrousis and moves on a narrow and rugged dirt road. During your walk you will have the chance to enjoy the view towards Kolofonia beach and the rocky island of Agios Loukas. The path is about 2.5 km long and is characterized as easy. Alternatively you can reach the beach by boat.
Path from Chora to Vryokastro
Another hiking route is the one that leads from Chora to Vryokastro, the ancient capital of the island. At first we move between the traditional buildings of Chora and then we head towards a ridge that will offer us an unobstructed to Chora. During our walk we will see the chapel of Panagia Trypiou. A beautiful walk around 6 km long.
Path from Loutra to Orya Castle or Katakefalos
Our walk starts from the area of the hot springs and soon meets the asphalt road. We walk on it for a while and then we meet a wide path. The path moves uphill until it intersects the dirt road again, that will lead us to Katakefalos plateau. From then on, we enter again the path that ends at the castle of Oria. A relatively easy route about 3.5 km in length.
Path from Chora to Loutra
A beautiful path that has its starting point at the square of Chora and leads us to the village Loutra. The trail soon becomes a wide path and then there are interchanges with dirt roads until we find the old path that reaches Loutra. Throughout the hike we see farmhouses, sheds and old fields as we cross creeks. The total length of this route is about 4 km.
Path from Dryopida to Lefkes
Our walk starts from Driopida and after we move for a while on asphalt and dirt road we enter a good wide path that descends to the sea smoothly. On our way we will have the opportunity to pass next to the church of Agios Ioannis and the spring where in the old days the clothes were washed. At the spring one can still spot the old wash basins that were used. Soon we arrive at Lefkes beach. An easy hike about 3 km.
